Collapsible tube squeezer and brush holder



Sept. 30, 1952 N. LIPTON 2,612,290

COLLAPSIBLE TUBE SQUEEZER AND BRUSH HOLDER Filed Oct. 22, 1947 ll IIIQXED Q Zhwentor Patented Sept. 30, 1952 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE SQUEEZjER AND 1 BRUSH HO E t Y Nat Lipton, Long Beach;,.Cauf. Application October 22, 1947; Serial No.'j7j81,473 I This invention relates to improvements in a collapsible tube squeezer andbrush holder and more particularly to a one-piece-integral construction for supporting a tube-squeezing means andtoilet articles, as, for example, tooth brushes.

One object of this invention is to design and provide a one-piece integral member so constructed and formed from a blank of sheet material as to provide a means for attaching the member to a-wall, a means for positioning and holding toilet articles, such as tooth brushes,

while affording free circulation of air around said brushes, and a means for supporting tube-squeezing and holding apparatus.

Another object of thisinvention is-to provide a one-piece integral member so constructed and formed as to position and hold a removable hollow cover which protects toilet articles from dust and dirt and which may be used for holding liquid.

A further object comprises the method of supporting the toothbrushes wherein theydo not rest on the bristles but are supported by the shoulders of the toothbrush, the purposeof this being to properly aerate the bristles through the openings underneath in the supporting member which apertures are disposedin-the same direction as the bristles when the latter arein their final resting position.

An additional object is to. utilize an extending, arcuate flange which is partjofand formed with the integral supporting member of the tooth- .brushing articles for the purpose of deflecting downwardly the extruded portion of the collapsible tube to the underside :of the supporting member.

Another object is for the supporting member to haveintegrally formed upright -flange's,at one or both terminal ends of the apertures receiving thetoothbrush. handles, for the purpose of retaining inp'osition aforementioned toothbrush cover and also for the purposeof partially isolating the toothbrushes from each other. r

having forwardly directed ex-tensions spaced from said curved wall-portion,-the forward extensions being provided withal-ignedmean's for supporting tube-dispensing rollers and the fiat wallporltion 3 Claims. (01-. 222: 93)- 'beingfprovided with means for positioning and holding selected toil'etarticles The drawings inthis application constitute a preferred embodiment-of the-invention and, as such; are not' intended to restrict the" invention to the disclosed construction'as long as the spirit of the invention is embraced-therein.

One structural form oft'he invention is illustrated'in the annexed drawingsgwhereinl ig. 1 is a'perspective View Fig. 2 is "atop plan view; Fig. 3- is a right side elevation; Fig. 4- is a rear view with a'portionof the deviceb-roken away to disclose the manner in which atoothbrush handle is supported;v Fig. 5 .is avertical cross-section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2yshowing a portion of a toothpaste tube operatively supported by the device and further displays a portiono'f a-toothbrush supported by the device; Fig. '6 is a fragmentary transverse cross-section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5; Figq'l'isa plan view of a cut, metalgblank from which'the; device formed: and Fig. 8 is a vertical cross sectionsimilar to Fig. 5, of a modified form of the device.

.The following detailed construction deals with a preferred form of the invention in Figs; 1 to 7 inclusive. The supporting member I can be punched and formed from one piece of metal or moldedfrom plastic material, .metal being the preferable substance. The member I includes a flat wall portion 2 provided with an integral rear depending flange 4 adapted tos'ecure said .member to a supporting wall. The flat wall portion 2 lies in a horizontal plane and aforwardly directed curved wall portion II is integrally formed with said flat wall portion ,and upwardly rises from the planev ofthe "flat ..wall portion. The curved wall portion] 1 includes a partial section of a cylinder of approximately Integrally formed'and merging with opposite side edges of the flat wall portion 2 are a pair ofIspaced, upstandin rigid flanges 3, each flange 3 being provided with a forwardly directedextension spaced from the "side edges of the curved wall portionl i and'projectingbeyond the forward edge of curved wall portion l I. The forward extensions areprovided "with spaced perforations or apertures 6 transversely aligned for carrying in spaced relation rods 5. Rods 5 can be either solid or hollow and are journalled in apertures 6, being supported and'rota'ted therein." The terminal ends of rods 5 can bethe same diameter asthe remainder of the rods since lateral movementto dislodgethe rods is obviated by the rubber rollers 1. If desirable;.thetermina1 ends of rods 5 can be flattened orlr'ive't headed (if the rods'a're solid) orv flared (if the rods are hollow). Rubber rollers I are cut from softrubber tubingthrough whichrods 5 are'thereafter pressed; Apertures 6 are spaced inflxed relation so that the rubber rollers l are in light contact with each other. 1 Located atlth'e knob 9 is rotated in a clockwise directiomthe tube I is propelled upwards and. the contents of the tube are expelled through the open end of the tube. The inner surface of thecurved wall portion II may conform-to the peripheral surface of one or both rollers I, and can be of any predetermined length, as'desired, extending to any point along the dotted lines'in Fig. 5, preferably to a point past the roller adjacent to flange II. The clearance between the flange I I and adjacent roller 1 should. permit only for the thickness of the compressed portion of tube III, the reason therefor being that the .tube I 0 has a tendency to force its way straight upwardly. Therefore, tube I0 will not readily be deflected downwardly unless it is kept in contact with the roller 1 adjacent flange II, and urged toward its downward course by the friction of said rubber roller.

The fiat wall portion 2 is adapted to carry toilet articles, such as tooth brushes, asillustrated, and is provided with longitudinally disposed elongated spaced apertures I2. The width of rectangularlike apertures I2 is less than the width. of the uppermost portionof the toothbrush handle I3 above the neck of'said toothbrush; the width of apertures I2 is wider thanthe width ofthe neck of the toothbrush handle I3; the length of apertures I2 is slightly longer than the widest part of the toothbrush handle I3. Toothbrush handle I3 is inserted with the toothbrush bristles I4 parallel to the rollers I and when the neck of said toothbrush is onfa plane with base 2 it is given a quarter turn forward so that the, bristles I I are at right angles to rollers I. Toothbrush I3 will therefore be supported by the shoulders thereof on base 2 of supporting member I.

The excess metal from. which apertures I2 are formed as by a punching operation is not out free from the flat'wall portion 2 but is preferably bent into a plane perpendicular to the plane of the flat wall portion 2, thus providing tooth brush positioning and holding elements orears I5. Upright ears I 5 at the terminal points of apertures I2 preclude, to a certain extent, the forward and backward motion of toothbrushes I3 and also serve to partially isolate the toothbrushes from each other. A toothbrush cover I6 is furnished which can be metal or plastic, preferably plastic, and is retained in position by its forward segment resting outside the foremost ears I5, its rear segment resting Outside the furthermost ears I5,.and its side segments positioned inside of the upright members 3. The supporting member I is secured to a wall through apertures I! located on flange 4.

In themodification displayed in Fig. 8, 2. third coacting roller I8 is placed in slight contact with the rearward roller 1. The clockwise rotation of knob 9 propels upwardly the sealed end of a collapsible tube inserted between thetwo foremost rollers I and simultaneously deflects downwardly the extruded portion of said collapsible tube between the two rearmost rollers I and I 8.

The collar of collapsible tubes being constructed of heavier metal does not readily lend itself to collapsible methods. The construction of .the roller elements being semi-circular in effect conforms to some degree to the cup-like shape of the tube collar. When the point is reached where the collar prevents the further normal rotation of the roller elements, it is possible to expend practically all the contents of the tube by applying both thumbs against the collar and compressing the collar against the roller elements.

It is not intended to claim as invention the process itself of compressing a collapsible tube by flange and a forwardly curved Wall portion upwardly rising from the plane of the fiat wall portion for downwardly guiding an emptied portion of a tube dispenser; said flat wallportion having spaced longitudinally elongated perforations therein for carrying tooth brushes; and spaced, rigid, upstanding flanges for reinforcing said forwardly extending wall for rigidity, each integral with a side edge of said fiat wall portion and extending entirely along the length of said side edge and eachhaving a forward extension spaced from said curved wall portion; said forward extensions being provided with spaced aligned ports for supporting tube dispensing roller means. I

2. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one end of each of said perforations is provided with an upstanding element for positioning and holding a tooth brush with the bristles disposed above a portion of the perforation. r

3. In an article of the character described, the combination of a one-piece integral member of sheet material including a flange at one end adapted to be secured to a supporting wall; a forwardly extending wall including a flat wall portion lying in a horizontal plane integral with said flange and an upwardly rising, forwardly directed, curved wall portion integral with said flat wall portion; said flat wall portion having means integral therewith for positioning and holding toilet articles; and spaced upstanding flanges, each integral. with a side edge of said flat wall portion, extending for the entire length of the said side edge, and having an extension spaced from said curved wall portion and extending forwardly therebeyond;.said extensions being provided with spaced transversely aligned ports, for journably supporting tube-dispensing roller means.

NAT LIPTON.

REFERENCES err-En I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,200,219 -M0xon Oct. 3, 1916 1,435,622 Price j Nov. 14, 1922 Hollander Mar. 4, 1924 7 Clark -1 Jan. 6, 1931 Greenwood Dec. 28, 1937 Kach Nov. 7, 1939 

